Ch. 234 - Filth?

The God Emperor nodded slightly and said, “Then we’re now on the same side. I hope you can bring me news of the Red Myriad Dao Lotus soon.”

“I’ll look into it when I return to the Divine Gate,” Xu Zimo replied. “Also, from now on, call me Master.”

The God Emperor nodded again, silently.

The group exited the palace, which stood at the heart of the Divine Gate.

Xu Zimo looked out at this mysterious Divine Gate.

In his past life, when he came here, the Divine Gate had already been overrun by martial cultivators. The place was a ruin, shattered and desolate.

The surrounding buildings stood tall, but the Divine Gate itself wasn’t built on the surface, it was hidden within a deep abyss beneath the Elden Lands.

Because the Elden Lands was forever cloaked in darkness, the architecture here incorporated many luminous Void Stones to emit light.

On this land blanketed by eternal night, whether it was palaces, towering prisons, or floating islands suspended mid-air,

Every structure gleamed with radiant light.

Against the dark background, they were especially eye-catching.

They cascaded like waterfalls, sparkled like constellations, and shimmered like a suspended Milky Way.

There was no sunlight here. All plants grown in this realm were of the dark attribute.

Ghostwood Trees, Nethergrass, Bloodscale Flowers…

“Master Xu, are you leaving already?” the God Emperor asked.

“No rush,” Xu Zimo chuckled. “Besides, you’d really let me walk out of here empty-handed? Aren’t you going to prepare some Dao Meridian Crystals for me? Don’t you feel the least bit guilty?”

The God Emperor muttered internally, “I’m your subordinate now. This entire lineage is basically yours. Who should feel guilty here?”

Of course, he kept those thoughts to himself.

Outwardly, he just smiled and said, “Master Xu, you may not know this, but mining Dao Meridian Crystals is very difficult. After accounting for the Divine Gate’s training needs, there really isn’t much left.”

“I understand,” Xu Zimo nodded. “We’re all on the same side now. No need to be so polite. Just toss me a few hundred thousand pieces, and we’ll call it even.”

The God Emperor glanced at him, suddenly realizing, this man has absolutely no shame.

“Master Xu,” he explained, “each person can only use so many Dao Meridian Crystals. The body builds a resistance to them. Around a thousand pieces is about the limit. More won’t help you.”

“I know,” Xu Zimo replied. “But what I can’t use, I can trade. Come now, don’t be stingy. A true Grand Emperor doesn’t sweat the small stuff.”

He patted the God Emperor’s shoulder and sighed.

“You’re thinking too small, my friend.”

“What do you mean, Master Xu?”

“Never mind that. Just take me to the mine,” Xu Zimo said.

…

The group passed through layer upon layer of space. The Dao Meridian Crystal Mine was protected by several powerful formations, and patrolled constantly by Divine Gate disciples.

Escape was impossible, defense was airtight.

The God Emperor didn’t reveal his identity. After all, aside from a few of the Divine Gate’s top figures, no one else knew he was alive.

They found an elder to guide them in, and were granted free passage.

The mining zone glowed brightly. Specially made torches lined the perimeter, burning a long-lasting sap that gave off a steady light.

The ground was covered in pits and tunnels.

Many disciples, clothes filthy and disheveled, worked inside the holes. The sound of constant mining echoed all around.

Carts full of Dao Meridian Crystals were pushed out one by one.

Xu Zimo picked up one of the crystals. It looked very plain, its glow was hidden, not radiant like other crystals.

Each one was about the size of a fist. As Xu Zimo began to absorb it, he felt a faint force flow into his body, toward his seventh meridian gate.

Though the power was weak, it was consistent, and could accumulate over time.

…

“This is just one of our mining sites,” the elder guiding them said. “We have dozens like it across the Divine Gate. Disciples with low talent are often assigned here to mine. But once they dig enough, they’re allowed to use some of the crystals to try opening their meridian gates. It’s a mixed blessing, I suppose.”

Xu Zimo nodded slightly.

Just then, a commotion rose in the distance.

The world’s spiritforce surged, concentrating toward a single point. Spiraling storms of energy swept the area.

“Looks like someone’s having a breakthrough,” Xu Zimo smiled. “Let’s go take a look.”

The group approached the scene, where a crowd of miners had already gathered.

Everyone whispered among themselves.

“The Holy Son is breaking through again. He’s probably in the Paragon Meridian Realm now.”

“Of course. The Holy Son’s talent is leagues above ours. Who knows, maybe he’s destined to inherit the Heaven’s Will.”

“But I heard he used to be just like us, a miner!”

As the crowd murmured, Xu Zimo looked toward the center.

There sat a black-robed youth, cross-legged on a large boulder.

Spiritforce howled around him. His black hair danced in the wind, and a dark light glowed from his body.

This scene continued for a while, until a loud boom echoed.

A meridian gate on his back, the fifth gate of Bloodveil, suddenly burst open.

A wave of powerful energy surged from his body. The dark light around him grew ever more brilliant.

“He has a Battle Physique too?” Xu Zimo asked, curious, glancing toward the elder beside him.

“That’s our Divine Gate’s current Holy Son,” the elder replied proudly. “His name is Jiang Tianbai. He started out just like the others, mining because of poor talent. No one expected he’d discover a top-tier physique, the Black Stone Battle Physique, ranked 22nd among the top 100 battle bodies. Since then, he’s trained diligently, won the Divine Gate tournament, and earned the title of Holy Son. Because this physique works especially well with Dao Meridian Crystals, he still comes here to train often.”

“Interesting,” Xu Zimo smiled.

By now, the black-robed youth had completed his breakthrough.

He opened his eyes, two beams of light flashed out, and let out a long, slow breath.

“Tianbai, come here,” the elder called out.

This elder was highly respected in the Divine Gate, similar in rank to one of the True Martial Sacred Ground’s seven Grand Elders.

“Greetings, Elder Pang,” Jiang Tianbai said as he hurried over, bowing respectfully.

“Training requires balance, know when to rest. I’ve seen your efforts. But take time to explore the outside world. You need to temper your heart as well.”

“I understand, Elder,” Jiang Tianbai replied solemnly. His tone brimming with confidence, he declared,

“Elder, rest assured, in this lifetime, I will inherit the Heaven’s Will. All obstacles and thorns ahead shall be reduced to mere filth beneath my feet.”

“Filth?” Xu Zimo chuckled lightly.

With a wave of his right hand, the surrounding spiritforce surged.

Space shattered, and his index finger swept forward, bringing with it a devastating shockwave.

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